


Nervous

by EtherealTulip



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Light Angst, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Song Lyrics, Songfic, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 09:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14375988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealTulip/pseuds/EtherealTulip
Summary: 'I won't say I love you if you don't'Cross-Posted from FanFiction.net





	Nervous

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally posted at sometime in december of 2016 but i spent a while adding more details. hopefully the formatting doesn't mess up. anyway, the song is 'nervous' by gavin james (please check him out!) and this story is /not beta'ed/ so feel free to point out mistakes if you spot any (you probably will).

* * *

_**"I promise that I'll hold you when it's cold out. When we lose our winter coats in the spring."** _  

* * *

 

"Hey, Lucy!" The teenager called to his best friend, a large grin forming on his face and he sprinted towards her. He skidded to an abrupt stop when the girl turned around, almost tripping over his own feet before regaining his balance. Lucy regarded him with an amused look, the ends of her blonde hair flowing behind while the rest remained stuffed in the grey beanie she wore.  
  
"Oh, hey, Natsu," A small smile rested on her face. "What's up?".  
  
"Nothin' much. Happy got mad at me because I didn't get him anything for Christmas," He chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head at the mention of his oddly coloured, and demanding, cat.  
  
Lucy giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, that's why your face is covered in scratches!" she smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes are she poked his cheek with a manicured finger.  
  
Natsu glared half-heartedly at her, swatting at her hand with a resigned pout on his face. and watched as her giggles became loud, snorting laughter. Eventually she calmed down and grinned at his irritated expression. A gust of wind blew between them, and Lucy shivered, wrapping her thin arms around herself as an effort to shield her frail body from the freezing wind.  
  
Natsu frowned, concerned, before removing his scarf with one swift motion and wrapping it around her neck. He managed a satisfied smile as he watched her bury her flushed face in it.  
  
"There!" He winked. "You okay?".  
  
"Aha, yeah. This jacket's terrible! I was thinking of returning it, but I don't know where the receipt went..." Lucy groaned while adjusting the scarf to cover her red ears. "I don't know if I'll be able to survive spring anymore!".  
  
Natsu thought for a moment before spinning her around and hugging her from the back.  
  
"Why have a jacket when you can have me?" He questioned before resting his head on her left shoulder. Lucy flushed further, reminding him more of a strawberry than a university student. He smirked at her when she turned her head away with a pout.  
  
"So, whenever you feel cold, tell me" He chuckled before grabbing her hand and walking towards their University. Lucy remained in a daze as he dragged her along.

**_"'Cause lately I was thinking I never told you that every time I see you my heart sings."_ **

  
When they entered the building, Natsu ran off towards his class, sliding across the floor as he went.  
  
"See ya after class, Lucy!" He called without looking back, suddenly conscious of the blush creeping across his face.  
  
Lucy simply smiled into her freezing hands before walking away to her class.  
  
Later that night, whilst remembering what had happened with the fluttering in his stomach growing more insistent, only one of his thoughts stuck to him until the next morning.

'She was.. so beautiful'

__

* * *

_**"We lived at the carnival in summer. Scared ourselves to death on a ghost train."** _

* * *

 

  
Half a year later, a scream rang out from the direction of the circus.  
  
"Natsu! Hold my hanD-!" Lucy cried as their pod fell and twirled and flew up the rails. Natsu chuckled nervously, barely resisting the urge to join her terrified screeching, before grabbing her right hand as they turned. The hologram of a ghost appeared, scaring Lucy enough to make her scream again before the pod dropped from a steep edge. He was suddenly even more grateful that he had remembered to bring his motion sickness pills with him.  
  
"Make it stop!" She sobbed. Natsu snorted at her.  
  
"You're the one who chose the ride. Why do you want it to stop?" He grinned shakily at her as she continued to flail and wail indignantly.  
  
"I don't know!" She screamed before they dropped for the last time.  
  
Five minutes later, Natsu had somehow managed to drag Lucy's limp body off the ride. She muttered obscenities at him, only stopping when a pair of elderly woman happened to overhear and sent them disgusted glances, and slowly began to walk with him after standing up. He grinned before grabbing her hand and running off towards the games, ignoring her irritated squawks.

 

* * *

_**"But just like every Ferris Wheel stops turning, oh I guess we had an expiration date."** _

* * *

 

Natsu paced his hallway, running his hand through his hair while the other pressed his phone to his ear 5 months later.

  
"Lucy? You there? Uh, I just wanted to see if you were doing alright. Erza and Levy say that you haven't returned their calls... Um. Call me when you get the chance... I wanted to give you something. See ya la-"  
  
Natsu growled before slamming his phone back down on the table when the timer ended before he could finish. Lucy wasn't answering her phone. She hadn't been for almost a week now.  
  
He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair before glancing down at the object that laid next to the phone. A necklace, rose gold. The pendant was a thin piece of gold, shaped like a heart and two roses were intricately carved into it. He exhaled, frustration flowing through him as he collapsed into the worn chair in the hallway and titled his head back to stare at the white ceiling with unfocused eyes. Lifting his head, he watched as Happy began pawing at the door, sending him glances as he did. He snapped his fingers in understanding before standing up  
  
He grabbed his phone and wallet, giving the necklace a single glance before stuffing it in his pocket as well. He shoved his hands into his pockets and slid into his shoes. As he opened his door, a wave of cool air blew into his warm home. He groaned before walking out and following the colourful trail of leaves towards the mall.  
  
Erza had demanded that they meet up to look for Lucy, an obvious excuse to go shopping. The others are agreed but Natsu had feigned illness in an attempt to avoid seeing her. It was petty, but he felt it was necessary. However, he also noticed something slightly odd. Whenever the girls spoke about Lucy, they began giggling and blushing, speaking to each other in low tones and sending their male friends frightening glances. He was too afraid to ask them what was wrong.  
  
After one long walk to the centre of the city, Natsu entered the mall and was welcomed by warmth and the smell of shoe polish. He swiftly located his friends and the girls began to drag their boyfriends to their preferred shops, leaving Natsu very lonely and free to look around.  
  
An hour into his exploring, he decided to go...'investigate' the food court. Quickly ordering his food and paying for it, he found a table near the doors leading to the rest of the shops. He sighed before dropping into his seat and devouring his slice of pizza. Natsu leaned back to stretch and turned his head to the side, only to catch golden hair and chocolate brown eyes disappear in the doors to the book store from the corner of his eye.  
  
"Lucy...?" Natsu mumbled as he got up and slowly walked towards the shop.  
  
He peered in through the window to see if it really was her, careful to also look at the books for sale in case someone was watching him.  
  
It was her. He beamed, feeling himself relax. He felt around for the necklace and held it in his right hand.  
  
He caught her laughing at something that was blocked by a bookshelf. Natsu frowned before jogging into the store and peering around the corner, where he thought she was standing.

**_"And I won't say I love you, it's too late..."_ **

  
Just as he turned the corner and opened his mouth to greet her, a male around his age with ash grey hair and a genuine grin gave Lucy a gentle peck on the cheek before handing her a rose. Lucy giggled before kissing him back and wrapping her arms around him, her eyes lighting up golden from where he stood. Her phone vibrated on the table next to her as more and more texts came in, obviously from the other girls.  
  
Natsu gulped quietly, eyes watering from under his bangs, before turning away, barely avoiding the precariously stacked pile of books as he walked out of the store. He began rummaging through his pocket and pulled out the necklace. He stared as it sparkled in the light, twirling as it dangled from his hand. With an exhausted huff, he shoved it back into his pocket before pulling out his own phone and texting his friends that he was going home. He out of the mall before he knew it, cold wind whipping him in the face from every direction as he sprinted towards his home.  
  
He shivered for the first time in a long time (the distant memories of a man with spiked red hair and a sharp grin ruffling his hair and handing him an oddly patterned scarf flashed through his mind before fading away).  
  
'She promised that she wouldn't leave me alone. That she wouldn't leave me like he did'

* * *

_**"Now that you're on someone else's shoulders, the winter winds are colder on my own."** _

* * *

  
The gang met Lucy's new boyfriend not too long after the incident at the mall. He seemed nice, gentle, poetic, smart. Everything Natsu wasn't known to be. He kissed her hand and wrapped his arms around her like a true gentleman, which elicited coos and whistles. Natsu sat awkwardly at the end of the table, playing with the hem of his shirt in habit he was sure he lost when he met Igneel.  
  
Lucy caught his eye and bounced towards him.  
  
"Hey, Natsu!" She grinned. "You said that you wanted to give me something?".  
  
Natsu shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the rest of the group's stares bore into him, all too aware of the way Erza turned to whisper something to Levy while giving him a concerned look.  
  
"U-Uh. Sorry, Lucy. I forgot it at... home," He mumbled, looking away from her happy gaze, shoving his hands into his pockets and grimacing lightly.  
  
"Aww!" She pouted. "Alright,".  
  
His fingers brushed against the cool necklace as he felt his eyes dampen.  
  
Gray rolled his eyes.  
  
"Of course, he would have forgotten! He's an idiot!"  
  
Everyone laughed, the girls following somewhat hesitantly, and Natsu shifted again. He chuckled shakily, running a trembling hand through his hair before getting up.  
  
"I gotta get home, guys. Happy's probably waiting for me...".  
  
Ignoring Erza's questioning gaze, he sent them a small wave and turning, walking out of the restaurant with his shoulders hunched and his mood low.  
  
"Bye, Natsu!" Lucy's voice called.  
  
He didn't turn back.

* * *

**_"So, I won't say I love you if you don't... oh you don't..."_ **

* * *

  
Natsu shut his door gently as he entered his home, kicking off his shoes and shrugging off his jacket swiftly. He spotted Happy sleeping on the couch, burrowing under a pile of fluffy blankets but couldn't bring himself to move him to his own bed. He could deal with cat fur later. He began shuffling towards his door, only to come face-to-face with the picture that hung on it, the paint on its frame steadily peeling off. He stared at Lucy's bright grin, and the way her messy hair and the sunset seemed to create a halo of gold above her head as she clutched the dog plushie he had won for her.

 

 

 

With a fatigued grimace, he reached for the door handle and opened it with more force than necessary, flinching when it slammed against the wall. Stumbling towards the bed and changing into a pair of pyjama pants along the way, he let himself fall forward and climb under the covers. Reaching into the pockets of his jeans, he pulled out the necklace and set it next to his alarm clock. Rolling onto his back, he gazed at the ceiling and his vision blurred as a quivering smile found its way onto his face.

**_"I won't say I love you if you don't,"_ **

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated (although most likely not deserved lol)!


End file.
